A/N: I'm sorry it's taken so long to get another chapter up. School has been rather tedious and has taken much of my time of late. BUT thankfully I'm on break right now so I have a bit of time to get some writing done! Yay!
Thank you for all the support with this story. I hope it's entertaining and exciting for you and I hope that I'm doing the characters justice and that you're able to enjoy the complicated mess that is the plot. Thank you for the reviews, the follows and favs. They mean a lot.
Enjoy!
Chapter 10:
He tasted something metallic, coppery and sour.
It was blood.
His blood to be precise. But, the thought didn't concern him too terribly. He knew that he'd bitten his tongue the moment he'd taken over for Yugi.
No, the real concern was in the sheer level of panic the girl still exuded, even after she'd been relieved of the agonizing pain that seemed overtake her every time they connected with the puzzle.
What truly set his mind to wonder was where the girl had actually gone. Wherever she had been transported, as seemed to be the nature of what occurred every time he did, indeed take over, she was no longer really in her soul room.
And, interestingly, he was seeing glimpses of this world that she'd been taken to, though it seemed to be through the realm of a dream scape for him. The lighting was too bright, the faces blurred and indistinguishable at best, which left that fierce, gnawing curiosity, nibbling at his brain, enticing him to probe further.
'Come now, don't be shy about it. I'm not going to harm you, little key. You're far too valuable for that nonsense.'
Hmm, that voice was new. Certainly one he'd never heard before.
And yet, the hair on the back of his arm prickled at the sound of it, even though the voice itself was entirely encased within the confines of his mind.
'CREAK'
The sound had him tensing. Such sounds did not bode well and he chided himself for being so lax in attention.
The girl had been right about the need to move from their current location. They weren't safe from whoever was trying to capture Yugi.
She'd tried to scramble backwards as quickly as she could when she realized where she was and how close she was to the thief king.
But, the man had anticipated her moves and placed a firm, sandaled foot on her starred pant leg, preventing her from moving as two pairs of arms came from behind her and hoisted her to her feet, keeping a firm grip on her elbows and shoulders.
"Ah you're a feisty one, I see." He smirked down at her, "I could see you had spirit in you. Not at all like your stuffy twin, eh? He's no fun at all. You, though? I can tell you're one for a good game."
The emphasis the thief king placed on the word game had Yugi tensing in dread. She wasn't sure what he was getting at here but she knew it didn't bode well for her.
The thief king laughed lowly as he peered at her, his eyes narrowed and assessing, smirk firmly in place.
"Oh yes, you'll be a delight, little key. And how fortunate I am to have figured out how to call you here. Now tell me, do you think we can entice him, hmm? Do you think he'll come for you?"
And then he folded his arms and shifted his stance as silence descended.
Yugi could hear her own heart beating in her ears as she tensed in anticipation, watching and waiting for what would happen next.
The steady 'thump thump thump' thrummed quickly against her ribs and she swallowed back the thicknes sin her throat.
And she waited.
But the thief king didn't seem too keen to continue in patience and he snorted in displeasure.
"Come now, I thought you were more assertive than this!" he growled lowly, "What are you waiting for? Should you not be screaming, begging for me to set you free? Are you not going to threaten my life? Are you not going to inquire after my master plan?"
Yugi was confused by the questions.
What good would any of that do her?
"I didn't think you'd bother telling me your plan," She remarked softly, hesitantly. "This isn't some stupid little game and I'm not going to buy into the hope that you're going to be dumb enough to give away your plans so what good would screaming about it do for me? You probably won't let me go."
It was a bold statement on her part, she knew that, but it was truthful nonetheless.
Her eyes widened slightly as the thief king let out a roar of laughter, rocking back on his heels at her reply.
"Oh indeed! I am not that stupid. You are correct little key!" He chortled, "And you are quite brave to state as much."
And then the man sobered as quickly as he had started laughing and a strange glint entered his eye.
"Oh yes, far too brave I think. What trouble you might be for me if I do not tame that tongue of yours."
The man was certifiably crazy Yugi decided as she tensed again, watching with a wariness as the thief stepped forward and grasped her chin harshly.
"Oh but it wouldn't do to harm you yet, now would it" he muttered softly, more to himself than anyone else. "No, he'd never forgive me if I harmed his little mirror. No indeed, little key. Then where would I be if I betrayed his trust too soon? He'd never give me what I want. No, no. You have some usefulness yet and it's best to exploit that when the time is right."
Squeezing her chin harshly, making the girl wince, he suddenly thrust her face from his own and took another large step back, clasping his hands together and marched away, leaving a very confused Yugi in his wake.
Key? What did he mean by a key?
"Be sure to make ready for when his highness arrives," the thief remarked flippantly over his shoulder. "I'm certain he'll be here soon."
And then the laughter returned as the guards tightened their grips on her shoulders until she winced once more.
The Pharaoh tensed as a ripple of panic coursed down his spine, tickling his senses and sending him on high alert.
He had no reason to be worried, to have the spike of fear course through him.
So why…?
'Do you think we can entice him, hmmm little key? Do you think he'll come for you?'
The words floated, like an echo, through the young man's ears and he tensed further, straightening in his chair and reaching to rest a hand on the cool metal of the puzzle about his neck.
How could he hear that?
'Does he know you're even here I wonder…' the voice continued, taunting and maniacal in presentation.
Oh he recognized that voice. But why would he hear it in his mind?
Was he going mad?
'…let me go.'
A newer voice emerged, this one softer, with a distinct, biting current of contempt lacing the words.
But oh how he recognized that infuriatingly confusing voice!
And it made him rise to his feet rather quickly in realization.
She was back.
The young ruler squared his jaw as Mahad gave him a stern look, pursing his lips in disdain and narrowing his eyes in questioning at the sudden movement the younger man had made.
'What's happened?' he queried of his ruler, the silence exchange reverberating the young Pharaoh's skull. 'I can sense something has happened.'
The young man nodded once, his own lips pursed.
'She's back. And with him.'
To the Pharaoh's great annoyance, Mahad only nodded thoughtfully and remained silent.
He hated when the priest did this. It meant something unpleasant was about to happen.
'I had surmised has much. I felt the shake of power.' He finally remarked, as he cast a sidelong glance at the other members of the court, who were staring curiously at their ruler. 'But for now you much school your impatience and tend to your duties. It would not look well for you to suddenly run mad after this thief on nothing but a whim.'
The young Pharaoh let out an small, somewhat exasperated sigh and returned to his seat, sending a glower towards the cowing crowd around him, and shooting a pointed look towards the high priest, who was watching him closely, his hawkish gaze focused intently on his superior.
'We have time. I will discuss the issue with Aknadin when we break from court. He can tell us more. Until then, try to remain as patient as I know you are unable to do."
The smirk was brief, ghosting over the priest's face that the young Pharaoh was unsure he'd actually seen it.
But he knew that it had to have been there. He knew Mahad well enough to know when he was being chided by one of his closest confidants. And this subject was sensitive, going by their previous tense conversations.
The Pharaoh was hesitant to believe in the girl.
Hell, he wasn't sure he could even believe she existed.
But the strange thing was, she continued to appear whenever he least expected it.
And it was time to seek answers.
"My lord Pharaoh…"
He resisted the urge to sigh and turned his attention to the Priest's call for attention as a new family stepped forward.
The wind bit at her cheeks, the grating sand wearing at her flesh and stinging her eyes. But, the sun had set so the scorching heat was not beating against her back anymore.
That was a small relief.
But despite the scorching heat, Yugi could feel the searing burn upon her flesh and she knew, without a doubt, that she'd been turned a rather spectacular shade of crimson. Her skin was too pale for this climate.
Not that it made any sense why she was here to begin with.
But, Yugi was beyond questioning that at this point. She was certain she'd get no answers. Nothing but more questions.
So, right, best to focus on the immediate dangers and figure out a way to get out of this ruddy mess.
And THEN she'd focus on something else.
The ropes that bound her wrists together were coarse things, rough and biting against her bones and skin. Despite this, though, the girl twisted and shifted her shoulders and wrists, trying to break loose from their hold. She knew there'd be some rough markings on her later.
She had to remain somewhat discreet about the whole thing, though, as she was forced to march through the sand, borrowing a pair of too-large sandals, and following behind a rather impressive caravan of people, who seemed far too interested in her presence for her liking.
Or rather, they were more interested in the trinket around her neck than anything else, starry pajamas aside.
This made Yugi wonder why the thief king had not tried to take the puzzle from her at all. In the few interactions she'd had with the man, she'd seen the way he eyed the puzzle, almost coveting the glittering object about her neck. Indeed there was a purpose to his attention to it. He wanted the puzzle.
There was no denying that.
What was strange, though, was that he seemed almost afraid to touch the object, as though something might happen if he were to attempt.
It was rather odd really. But it gave Yugi some sort of leverage in this instance. She could use his hesitancy against him; force his hand if it came down to it.
Right now it seemed as though he wasn't going to speak to her, nor acknowledge her presence at the moment.
So, right, she needed to turn this around.
Yugi twisted her wrists against the rope again as she peered at the back of the thief king's head.
"I don't suppose you'll tell me where we're going will you." She remarked softly, though she forced her voice not to waiver.
Now was not the time to show weakness.
The thief king's reply was a low grunt and nothing more. He didn't even turn around to face the girl, which caused more than a few of the guards around her to chuckle derisively.
Yugi resisted the urge to look embarrassed but continued to softly struggle against her bonds.
More questions.
She needed to keep talking, to get him to open up, to break his silence.
"You know I don't think the Pharaoh cares about me or even knows I'm here." She continued, more conversational this time. "I don't even know HOW I got here either. How could he know?"
Still only a grunt from the thief king was her reply, though Yugi noticed how the taller fellow seemed to tense at the question. The air around the girl seemed to thicken considerably and though her target audience member didn't respond, some of the other men around her began to whisper softly, too softly that she couldn't hear what they were saying, but loud enough o know that her words had caused some sort of discontent.
Yes, this was good.
She needed to ask more questions.
"I mean did you see the last time we were together?" She continued, feigning confidence she really didn't feel. "He was infuriated with me. IT's not like I matter to him. And since I don't even know how I came to be here, how can you expect him to care if I do appear? I doubt he's looking for me at all really. I'm nothing to him."
At that comment the man chuckled. But it wasn't a jovial one. Oh no, it was a rather cynical one, full of anger and mal-intent.
And, as quickly has he'd been marching ahead of the girl, the thief king suddenly halted and swiveled on his sandaled heel and marched back to the girl, eyes glittering dangerously.
"You think this ploy will work?" He smirked down at the girl, leaning close to her. "You play a good game, my dear. But, you'll find that I can play it better."
The thief straightened and raised his hand into the air to halt the movement of the caravan. "In fact, I know that he'll come for you. We're already upon him. He's here for you now, you see."
Then the thief flexed his hand.
"But if you don't believe me, perhaps I can…persuade you to keep that mouth of your shut."
He turned his attention to the guards behind the girl, the one's who'd never left her side since she'd arrived.
"Gag her and come with me." He remarked coldly, turning forward again, his tanned face glowing in the sinking light of the sun. Yugi could see the interesting star-shaped scar along the man's strong face, that ran to his jaw and it struck her, once again, how much this thief king looked like her classmate Ryou.
The rough material of the gag scratched at her tender, sunburned flesh as the guard bound her mouth shut and pushed her forward, towards where the thief king was marching up a steep, sandy slope, towards a dim, glowing light source.
Yugi swallowed back the trepidation that was growing in her stomach and continued to twist her wrists as discreetly as possible. She knew, from the self-defense class her grandfather insisted she take, that it took a bit of time, but it was possible to break free.
She just needed patience.
Though she had to confess that the man's intensity intrigued her. Her curiosity was piqued. Clearly he believed in what he was doing. And Yugi wanted to know why, and whether or not that would sway her opinion of his cause, as he seemed to think it would.
And so she followed after the thief king (not that she had much choice in the matter), silent and steady in her footing, though still anxious to loosen the bands that held her wrists in a firm grip.
They crested a few small dunes, and Yugi watched, fascinated, by the way the light continued to grow, flicker against the sparkling sandscape before her.
Once they crested a third dune, the thief king halted suddenly, eyes cast downward towards the blackened remains of, what Yugi could only deduce to be, a once bustling city. Now, all that remained were crumbling buildings and charred wood beams. A veritable ghost town if you will.
What drew Yugi's attention, though, were the small rabble of soldiers, patrolling the borders of the city, their torches held aloft and flickering brightly against the darkened skies. These soldiers, she recognized, bore the same insignia she'd seen the last time she'd appeared here, in the palace of that pharaoh.
But it didn't make sense. Why would they be patrolling such a desolate place as this?
"They come looking for you," remarked the thief king. "Surely you don't believe your own words now that you have proof before you."
He cast a long, smirking glance her way and frowned, eyes travelling to the puzzle around the girl's neck.
"Fitting place too," He remarked. "Tell me little key, do you know what this place is?"
Yugi remained silent and unblinking as she waited for the thief to continue.
Of course she had no idea what this place was. Not that she could answer anyway. She had been gagged afterall.
But the thief king only snorted derisively, appearing completely unperturbed by her silence, and turned back towards the city and the patrols below them.
"This is Kul Elna" He remarked, "This is where the millennium items were forged."
He turned back to Yugi, and grasped her arm, forcing her forward, towards the ledge.
"Surely your puzzle can tell you what power resided here, can it not. Concentrate now, little key and feel what it is I can feel."
The thief forced Yugi to her knees and covered her eyes with his calloused hand.
"Listen to the thrumming, the pulsing beats of power that reside in this place," He snarled lowly, "Listen to the dark howls of agony. Do you hear them? Do you feel the weight around your neck? How it grows the closer you get to the city? I can feel it. The raw power that encircles you, that draws from your soul and taints their memory. I can hear their cries of abuse. I know what it is they suffered at the hands of your precious Pharaoh."
Yugi was confused, but she did feel something growing about her. A thickness that made the air feel heavy against her body and weighed down on her flesh. She felt the tug of the chain that held the puzzle and the weight that seemed to triple in size here.
And there was a coldness that settled in her stomach as she thought of the strange shadowy figures she'd encountered.
Gooseflesh encased her arms and she resisted the urge to shudder.
Something was terribly wrong with this place.
"This was my home," remarked the thief king, removing his hand from her eyes and rising. "And it was destroyed for the sake of those items you covet. And it is here that I will take my revenge. My people will have justice dealt for them. I will see to it."
He glowered down at Yugi.
"And you, little key, provide me with the perfect opportunity to do so. Your little…trinket…will give me exactly what I want. And you will give it to me when the time is right."
He smirked down at her.
"Oh yes, little key," He remarked softly, stroking her hair "You will forsake the Pharaoh and give me exactly what I need to take control. That puzzle of yours will be mine."
"Bakura!"
Mahad had led them to the remains of a city, one that was wholly unfamiliar to the young Pharaoh. He couldn't recall at time that he'd travelled this far. But, under the cloak of night, he'd managed to out maneuver the most curious of spies who would have undoubtedly report back to their master, the thief king.
No, despite his unfamiliarity with the region, the young ruler was grateful for the anonymity that remained his while on the journey.
And Mahad had assured him that the girl, Yugi, would be here. This is where the thief king had taken her.
Though, how she appeared before that thief king still remained a mystery.
They'd entered the confines of the rubbled city walls well past the midnight hour and the Pharaoh sent scouts to patrol the city limit for signs of movement above the ridges around the city.
He wanted to be aware when the thief king appeared. He couldn't afford to be caught off guard.
"He will be here soon," Mahad's voice cut through the Pharaoh's thoughts and he cast a long glance towards the archway where the priest stood, with arms folded, watching him.
"This still doesn't answer the question of how the girl ended up in the hands of the thief king to begin with," He remarked softly to Mahad, "What sorcery does he control to allow that to happen?"
Mahad only shook his head.
"I fear there is more to his power than his own doings." He remarked cryptically, "There's more to this trap than we might suppose."
The word 'trap' did not escape the pharaoh's hearing and he cast a hard look outwards, towards the Cliffside where he was certain the thief king resided.
Trap? What might he gain from a trap?
"If this is a trap, why are we endangering the Pharaoh?" The high priest sneered at Mahad, stepping forward authoritatively. His entire demeanor pulsated with anger and annoyance at Mahad.
"Why subject him to this if it is a trap? What reason does he have to risk his life for some…girl?"
Mahad snorted softly, "He is in no danger I assure you. The Thief King has a trap, yes, but not in the way you might think."
"You seem keen on the thief's plans." Seto remarked lowly, "Pray, tell me how you know this if you are not his ally?"
"Isis."
One word had the priest clamping his mouth shut with a firm 'click' and glowering towards the hillsides that surrounded the remains of the city.
"As I said, this is a trap but not one to do you harm. At least not physical. He's planning something," Mahad continued, "He's trying to prove a point. It's a power play."
It was well towards dawn when the guards spotted the thief king atop the ridge, standing proudly against the lightening sky. But, though he stood in view of the guards and the Pharaoh, the thief king seemed oblivious to the imminent danger he appeared to be in.
And though they were within firing range, the Pharaoh stood and watched, unwilling to fire upon the thief king just yet.
Especially when he spotted another figure at the thief's side, watched as he forced the girl to the ground and knelt by her side.
He felt a ripple of confusion course through him, mixed with anxiety and fear.
He knew he was sensing Yugi's feelings, even as he tried to send comforting thoughts to the girl. He wanted to assuage the panic she felt, but his thoughts seemed rebuffed the by the girl and the distance between them, and it rankled his anger when he watched the girl shoved down further, so that her face was nearly flush with the ground.
And then he spoke.
"Bakura!"
The reply was a low laugh that reverberated against the cliff walls as the thief king straightened.
"Oh yes, I was wondering when you'd make yourself known, dear Pharaoh," He chortled darkly, "I've waited to see how far I could push the girl before your anger was piqued."
The first rays of the sun began to filter past the thief's form casting a brilliant golden halo around the anger, white-haired thief. The Pharaoh could see the scowl firmly affixed to the man's features and noted the way he narrowed his eyes down at the Pharaoh.
"Diabound!" He commanded suddenly, his voice thunderous and dripping in anger, "Come forth my partner and show them what you think of they're betrayal."
The wind picked up, sending a spray of dust into the pharaoh's eyes and he raised his arm to shield his face as the thief king continued to laugh.
"DO you know, dear Pharaoh, what it cost to create your precious items?" He bellowed down to the young ruler. "Do you know what was destroyed to ensure your power?"
The young Pharaoh watched the familiar, pale creature emerge from the clouds and descended upon the ruler and his guards.
"Come, now, your majesty," The thief chortled again, "I have a gift for you. Their anger is hot against you. They wish to see you fall! And I will ensure that!"
"Dark Magician!" the pharaoh bellowed in response, feeling the warmth of the puzzle against his chest and knowing that his confidant and ally would be at his side to defend him.
He heard similar calls from Seto, summoning his own monster for defense.
"You are outnumbered and out-magicked, thief king!" The priest retorted heatedly, lifting his chin proudly and defiantly against the diabound and its master.
But the thief king only laughed as the magician hovered forward towards the pharaoh, eyes narrowed and assessing.
He laughed again as the priest's monster came forth as well.
And then…
The thief king grabbed at the girl, hoisting Yugi to her feet. And then, the pharaoh watched as he hoisted the girl off her feet, dangling by the scruff of her shirt.
Anger roiled hot against his belly as he watched the thief king step forward and thrust the girl outward until she was dangling over the edge of the precipice that they stood upon.
He watched Yugi struggled and noted the way her eyes widened and she shifted uncomfortably against the thief's hold. Her shoulders rolled and the pharaoh noted the way the girl twisted her wrists in order to try to break free from the bindings that held her captive.
"You think I would not come without some leverage, dear Pharaoh?" The haughty thief snorted, "I'm always prepared, or have you not figured that out yet?"
He laughed lowly again as the diabound hovered closer to its master. The pharaoh tensed.
"You will release her," He commanded darkly, feeling the crackle of energy in the air around him grow denser and more uncontrollable.
He wanted to attack. He could feel the alarm from the girl growing as she struggled against the thief's hold.
"Ah, ah ah," the thief remarked, seeming to sense his growing anger and diminishing patience. "I did not come to fight you, dear Pharaoh. Not at all. I will let the city speak for itself."
The thief's tone changed, his eyes darkened and he glowered at the young ruler.
"Consider this a warning." He remarked, "Soon you will fall and all of the anger of my people will crash upon you. You will be betrayed by those closest to you and you will suffer for every life you took for your precious pride. I will exact my justice. I will avenge my people and you will cower before the end."
"We will not let you walk away now, thief," The high priest spat at Bakura's proud form, "You will not escape the justice we will deal upon you here and now."
'Be ready to attack,' The pharaoh sent a silent remark to the dark magician, watching as his friend and protector gave a brief nod.
"Oh I wouldn't be so certain of that!"
Then the thief king straightened and pulled the girl back before thrusting her forward again and releasing his grip on the back of Yugi's shirt.
Jerked about by the sudden movement, Yugi's body pivoted around so that she was facing the sky as she descended from the precipice she'd been dangled over.
'Get her!'
The command came out as the Pharaoh charged forward, knowing that the dark magician had to reach her for he could not.
"Diabound!" came the thief's call, "Leave a warning for them shall you?"
The white beast charged forward, reaching downward to pluck at the monster that priest had summoned.
Opening its jowls it grasped the arm of the priest's dragon-like monster and clamped its jaws downward, hoisting the creature into the air with itself, leaving the priest to gasp out in agony at the separation and the pain that the beast received.
At the same moment that the magician reached the girl, who hovered a few feet from the rocky ground, the diabound turned swiftly to retrieve its master and together they ascended into the sky, a flurry of dust surrounding the guards and warriors that had marched to the cliff side at the behest of the thief king.
The laughter echoed in the pharaoh's ears as he marched forward towards the girl whose eyes were wide as saucers and who looked paler than he thought possible. Gagged as she was and bound with the rough rope, he couldn't help but note the deep bruising around the girl's jaw and wrists and his anger intensified, as the laughter grew dimmer and faded.
What piqued his interest, though, was the small note tucked neatly between the binding's on the girl's wrist.
Yugi stumbled as she was placed gently on the ground and the Pharaoh reached forward to steady that unsteady girl, removing the gag from her mouth before retrieving the small note she bore.
Three words were hastily scribbled on the papyrus scrap which sent the pharaoh on edge, his curiosity piqued, his suspicions rising at those three words.
'She is key'
He risked a few hours of solitude before he ventured back out into the rain, thankful for the spare clothing that Jou's hideaway contained.
He'd have to pay Jou back for that.
Once he did venture into the gloomy, evening the spirit pulled the hood of the sweatshirt well over his head to hide his very obvious trademark hairstyle
Couldn't risk being spotted right now. It'd do him no good.
He knew he might have luck sneaking into the museum or some other building with high security cameras, in order to avoid the onslaught of opposition he knew was brewing, but that didn't solve his current dilemma.
And that was the point, really. He needed to solve that dilemma and figure out just who was trying to take the puzzle away from Yugi and why.
The sooner he did that, the better they'd both be.
He understood, of course, that there was power hidden within the puzzle. He wasn't a fool after all. He could feel it coursing through him whenever he'd taken over for Yugi and protected her.
But even he, the spirit of the puzzle, did not fully understand how the puzzle worked or why someone else would know of its existence.
But he knew that such people were not friendly, nor would they care what harm befell the girl that he'd become protector over.
They'd already harmed her grandfather and he needed to figure out how to stop them.
As to the power of the puzzle, though, the spirit was mildly interested in the image of Seto Kaiba that continually shifted and reappeared in his mind's eye as he concentrated on the power that the puzzle exuded.
It seemed that it wanted him to find the gaming rival.
Which, of course, seemed absurd, considering it was Kaiba that got Yugi into this mess in the first place. Why should the spirit request that he track the CEO down? What good would it do?
But…no there was something…and here the spirit caught snatches of images…a face that looked remarkably similar to the CEO…though different.
And he knew that there was something there, something he had to pick at and investigate while his charge, wherever she'd flittered off to, completed whatever task that puzzle had for her.
That was the only way to explain this absurdity that was their lives at the moment.
Rest assured, however, that he was determined to glean some answers from the girl as soon as she returned.
For now…it seemed far too obvious a place to start, going to Kaiba Corps headquarters. He doubted the young man would be in his office. No, that was far too convenient a place. And if an enemy was seeking to find the puzzle, then they'd reach out to all of Yugi's acquaintances, both good and bad, to get what they wanted.
So, where then to look?
This question perplexed the spirit, being that he was somewhat foreign to this city, and completely unaware of Kaiba's movements throughout said city.
Where could he look without drawing attention to himself?
"We've had a recent development concerning the standoff reported earlier this evening."
The spirit cast a haphazard glance towards the large display of televisions through the window of the electronics shop.
And then he froze, eyes widening in shock and amusement at the fortunate turn of events.
Speaking of Seto Kaiba.
"It appears that Seto Kaiba, the young CEO of Kaiba Corps was assaulted earlier this evening by a group of vigilante assailants calling themselves rare hunters."
The images on the screens panned away from the view of the young reporter and turned towards a dimply lit bridge where several figures stood out against the streetlamps.
By now the spirit had turned to watch the news reports carefully, thankful that he wasn't the only one standing in front of the store.
"It is unclear at this time what these rare hunters were after, but Seto Kaiba and his unidentified friend were remanded to police custody where they are being observed by armed security guards. No word from the young CEO yet, who appeared more annoyed than disheveled by the evening's proceedings."
The news then transferred to a different story, and the spirit slowly maneuvered past the growing crowd, and returned to the solitude of the darkened alleyway to sort through his thoughts.
The name 'rare hunter' had been a familiar one, though, once again he was left wondering WHY it was so familiar.
Still, at least now he knew Kaiba was safe, though that didn't help him address his current dilemma of meeting with the CEO.
Nor did it really answer any question he had about the puzzle and the rare hunters' drive to get it from him.
"I think that I might be able to answer some of the questions you have my Pharaoh."
The spirit of the puzzle jerked his gaze up in surprise at the figure who stood at the entrance of the alley, struck by the image of someone he felt he knew a long time ago.